Comptroller leaves town hall for school district

After a decade and a half of crunching numbers and reporting on the town's fiscal health and direction, Bethlehem Comptroller Judith Kehoe is leaving Town Hall and moving down the road to work at the Bethlehem School District.

Supervisor Jack Cunningham told the Town Board on Friday, July 18, that Kehoe accepted a position with the Bethlehem Central School District as treasurer/school business administrator starting on Sept. 1.

The school district said it expects to make Kehoe's appointment official at its Wednesday, Aug. 13, board of education meeting.

It has been my great honor and pleasure to serve as town comptroller for the past 16 years, said Kehoe. "Although I will miss working with the dedicated team of officials and employees at the town, it is time for me to pursue the next phase of my career. I look forward to serving the school district, and I am eager to devote myself to a new set of challenges and experiences."

"Judi has been a valuable member of the management team here at Town Hall," said Cunningham. "Although her resignation is a loss for the town, I am happy that the community as a whole will continue to benefit from her talents as she assumes her new duties at the school district."

Cunningham described Kehoe's work as "terrific," and that he didn't know she was leaving until Kehoe announced it last week.

"This was bolt out of the blue for me," he said, adding that he is happy for her that she's moving on in her career.

The town has begun the process of recruiting a candidate to fill the vacancy created by Kehoe's resignation.

"We hope to have someone on board before she leaves," Cunningham said. "But it may not be possible."

School district representatives said they were happy about Kehoe's decision.

"We are very excited to be bringing someone with Judy's expertise and experience to the position of district business administrator," said Superintendent Michael Tebbano. "Her dedication to the community has been evident not only in her work with the town, but also in her membership on the district's Citizens Budget Group for the last two years. She will be an asset to the district."

Kehoe is filling the vacancy created when Business Administrator David Weiser accepted a position with the state Department of Education this spring.

The job pays a salary of $85,000 a year, according to district records.""